Protect your flowers from frost

When buying new plants, it is essential to know how hardy they are, and with all the talk about "climate change", this is a difficult subject.

In gardening we used to have certain rules according to where we lived. It was dangerous to plant out certain annual plants before the end of May in the Midlands, as we could very probably get a frost.

Now we are not so sure. Quite often spring comes early and we could plant out our annuals much earlier, but there is still a chance that they may be touched by frost.

We have not had a really bad winter for about five years, but there is no rule to say that it's now too late for harsh conditions to arrive.

In general, plants are able to tolerate much colder weather if they are established in the ground.

So common sense tells us to plant anything which is border-line hardy when the ground has had time to warm up a bit, probably after the end of May.

By then the plant will have the whole growing season to get established, and by the time next year's cold weather is here, it may well be able to withstand any cold.

I put my Dahlias in a frost-free place last autumn. I can now get them out and plant them in a greenhouse if they are large enough, and then can put them outside about May, or whenever the frosts seem to be over.

If we have another cold spell, I can cover them in the greenhouse, which is not heated, and they will almost be in flower before I actually plant them out.

Nasturtiums will drop seeds in the garden, and I dig up the little seedlings to put where I want them whenever I get round to it.

If I want some special kinds, I can grow them in the greenhouse a little later in the year, and put them out in June. They grow quickly then, so will soon catch up.

Paeonies come from China where they grow in the wild. The plants will be fine, however cold the weather, but the flowers need to be protected. In Japan they build houses to protect the flowers in spring, and take them away when the plants have flowered.

The hardy ones, like P. delawayii and P. lutea are alright when they come out in mid-May.

Fuchsias come in hardy types and indoor types, so you need to know which they are.

Fuchsia megalanica is hardy, and may be cut right down in winter, but has lots of time to come up before it flowers.

There are also many other hardy types - the National Collection is at Leicester Botanic Garden, so can be viewed next autumn.

Some of the half-hardy annuals, like snapdragons or antirrhinums, behave like hardy plants, and may be still ready to flower early for us this year. I always try to have some as children love to feel them 'biting' their fingers.

I think the answer to the hardy problem is still the same really. Try some out, but always keep some protected, just in case of late frost.

By Pat Edwards